


Lady Of The Glittering Caves

by LLN3dseestheLight



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Female Bilbo, Female Legolas, Galadreil's Mirror, I'm mean to Legolas, M/M, Orc's talking about eating Elves, There Orc's it's what they do, it will get better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:27:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4028503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LLN3dseestheLight/pseuds/LLN3dseestheLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legolas Greenleaf, Daughter of Thranduil, Princess of Mirkwood gets bit by a Spider of the forest, once recovered she looks into Galadreil's Mirror against her father's wishes and sees what her future could be... and is not happy. So Legolas changes it. And in doing so changes the fate of an Elf, a Hobbit and some Dwarves.</p><p>The Lady of the Glittering Caves, as she was once known and will be known as again...<br/>Nothing will stand in her way...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_"_ _Come Child, look into my mirror..." the Lady of Lorthien bid with a sweet smile at the Elf maid in warrior's garb. She knew the child was recovering from a Mirkwood spider bite, it had been surprising she had survived at all. Most did not. Warily the young Elf maid walked up to the alter bowl that Galadriel had poured the Waters of Life into. The maid looked down into the glowing, spinning waters..._

**"Is that your brother?" Legolas asked the red-haired dwarf that was kneeling tied up before her. The company of Dwarves had trespassed on Mirkwood land. It had been a long time since a dwarf dared to enter the dark forest. She would have to take them before her father, the King. I**

**"No!" the dwarf said in a shocked voice, "That's my wife!"**

**"Really?' she had heard rumors about Dwarrow females...this portrait she was looking at... Did not look like any female she had ever seen. "So what is this other thing?" she sneered, "A mutant goblin?" Though if she were truthful? The young dwarf in the picture was not ugly... No, he was quite handsome.**

**"Nay! That's my boy, Gimli!"**

**^^**

**"He is a dwarf!" Legolas said in a harsh voice to Tuariel. How could the red haired Elf betray everything they had been taught? This company would bring down nothing but despair on them.**

**Tauriel gave her a sad but proud look, nodding, "He is a son of Durin, Legolas."**

**As if that was that was in his favor? "They are cursed, Tauriel! Being of Durin's git makes it doubly so." Legolas snarled, slamming her dagger she has been flipping idly in the air, into the table in front of Taureil in anger.**

**"I... I love him." The captain of Thranduil's guard whispered.**

**^^**

**Legolas slashed the goblin with her long daggers. Those dwarves brought chaos down from the Lonely Mountain, she thought, as she watched the battle of five armies rage on below her.**

**^^**

**Many died that day.**

**For others life went on...**

**^^**

**Then one day a small trinket became know to the land...**

**^^^**

**"We have found your monster my friend." Legolas told Estel putting a hand on the Rangers shoulder, "Let us tend to your wounds."**

**^^**

**Legolas shoved a guard up against a wall, hissing at the elf, "What do you mean, Gollum, escaped?"**

**The guard stuttered out an excuse, fearful of the Princess, wondering what would happen if she didn't like his answer.**

**^^  
**

**Legolas stood before Elrond at the Council, she had seen the young hobbit boy place that wicked thing on the table. The young hobbit sat back down next to and older femal with graying light brown hair. She watched as the Man insulted them all and lust after the horrid object. But when he disparaged Estel? She could no longer stay silent she stood up, "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn... Isildur Heir!"**

**^^**

**'...Needs to be destroyed !" The red headed Dwarf exclaimed as he started running towards the table he slammed his axe down upon the ring, the blade of the axe shattering on impact.**

**"It can only be destroyed by the fires of Mt. Doom!" Elrond yelled.**

**But Legolas barely heard, such strength of character this dwarf had shown. It surprised her. She watched as an older dwarf with graying hair pulled the red head away from the table. Something was familiar about them... She just could remember what?**

**^^**

**"...Know you?" Asked the older hobbit woman to Legolas.**

**Legolas smiled, "We met once long ago. You were part of Oaken shield's Company, I believe."**

**"Yes..." Bella Baggins said with a far off look to her eyes, "The King Under the Mountain.** _Far over the Misty Mountains cold..._ **" the hobbit woman sang softly. She gave Bella a sad smile as the hobbit continued to sing.**

**^^**

**Legolas pulled the mourning Dwarf from the cursed caves of Moria... Gandulf was... No...**

**^^**

**"...and the Lady Galadriel is most fair..." Gimli said charmingly, making Legolas kinswoman smile in delight.**

**Legolas seethed in jealousy, 'one day I will proof more fair in your eyes, my star.' She swore to herself. Galadriel gave her a sharp knowing look, a smirk on her lips.**

**^^**

**Legolas thought about not giving Aragon the necklace. EveningStar's symbol of mortality, for just a moment. Legolas remembered the feelings she once bore for the man. But in the end her friendship proffed more true, "Estel?' she called to Aragon who turned to her and she held out her hand showing him the sparkling white gem stone necklace.**

**Legolas never notices the dwarf frowning at her as he watched from the shadows.**

**^^**

**"...ah, it's a drinking game!" Legolas stated ignoring Gimli when he rolled his eyes at her as he pushed a tanker of ale to her.**

**Fifteen or twenty tankers of ale later, she looked down at her left hand. Her fingers felt funny, "...I feel something," that caused Eomer to pause in the ppour of the tankers of ale, looking up at her half in concern and half at the prospect of seeing a drunk elf, "My fingers are tingling!"**

**Gimli burped suddenly, "...sehe told yay elfies canna holl their drunn-" Gimli's eyes rolled up and he fell off the bench sit hitting the ground with a hard sound.**

**Legolas glanced down at the dwarf then back to Eomer, smirking, "...Game over."**

**^^**

**Helm's Deep.**

**Fire, death, and chaos...**

**^^**

**"..You'll come with me? To Fanghorn Forest?" Legolas asked softly, as they sat staring into the fire, waiting for morning. Trying not to think about what was to come.**

**"Aye, but you must see the Glittering Caves, though."**

**She smiled softly and nodded as Gimli smoked his pipe. This respite would not last long. Legolas could feel the darkness hanging over the lands. Sauron's forces were going to make a stand soon.**

**^^**

**Sauron was defeated.**

**A hobbit's soul was mostly destroyed in the effort.**

**A King of Men married his Elven love.**

**Life when on...**

**^^^**

**Middle Earth** **Early Fourth Age...**

 

Legolas crawled through the mud and the muck of the swamplands of Emyn Muil, outside of the boarder of what was once Mordor. Bleeding from various wounds as she heard the shrieks of Orcs- _and wasn't it always bloody Orcs?_ their population had dropped considerable since the War of the Ring. But the creatures had learned they could breed with human women and female Elves.

Elves though were rare to find on Arda these days.

They had chased Legolas for many leagues. The wound on her left leg was worrisome, having been hit high on her thigh with an _arrow_ of all things! She could not let them take her! She bit back a gasp of pain as she moved lowly through the marshes hoping that the tall grass would keep her hidden. Legolas tried not to think about the swamp water that was causing her wounds to burn. She had made a stand against the Orc chasing _her..._

_And I lost._

Which made sense. There had been a Dwarf at her back since the War of the Ring...

 _Gimli..._ _My Star..._

Had been there but was now, _Gone..._

The Lord of the Glittering Caves had pasted away three months ago. Poisoned by the young dwarfling he had named as his heir. It had been dishonorable! One of her arrow had found that dwarf's heart before she had left the caves.

 _She could not stop the sob that escaped her._ As she remember Gimli had called her 'love' on his deathbed. It had been hard to keep her secret from him. So many times she had wanted to tell him that she returned those feelings but her father... Her father had given his word she would be his heir if she promise to never tell the dwarf of her true feelings. So for the good of her kingdom she held her tongue.

But her father... _the liar..._ In the end gave Mirkwood to her younger half-brother, Thrandon. _The supsurper..._

Then it was to late to tell Gimli the truth. He was beyond her reach.

These thoughts were so tiring, she was bleeding from her shoulder some but the wound on her leg seemed to just keep pouring blood. _Perhaps the wound is worse than_ I _thought?_ She wondered darkly, the sound of something stomping in the water caught her attention causing her to jerk at the sound, her hand slipping and splashed in the murky waters. She hissed a curse in Khuzdul knowing the Orcs might have heard the noise,.

Gimli..." _My Star..."_ Had been her saving grace when Legolas kingdom had been given to her brother and she had nowhere to go. She had gone to Gimli though he had been married to a Dwarrowdam for five years, one who had never loved Gimli. The woman had only married Gimli for his lands, titles and riches. She had taken lovers uncaring of Gimli. It had been a blow to Gimli's pride, something that was ever important to one of Durin's line.

Legolas had come up with the idea to pretend to be Gimli's lover in exchange for the home he was giving her. Though she knew Gimli would have done that anyway. He found it amusing at how shocked all of his dwarrow brethren were at the though of him having an Elf as a lover.

So, for the next few hundred years, she played...  _No, I was..._ Gimli's lover though she was never in actual deed. The perement scowl on Gimli's wife's features was more than enough to make the whole thing worthy it.

Legolas learned of the many secerts of the Glittering Caves held.

Legolas started to move through the waters again, when she was suddenly grabbed by the hair and was yanked to her feet.

"Lookie here, boys!" the Orc said in common tongue. Only Mordor Orcs spoke common speech, His face contorted with glee, "At what I found! An Elf!"

A small one eyed goblin glared up at the Orc, "They don't exists no more."

"Oh, they exist," an Orc with a long scar down the side of his face muttered, "They're just hard to find." He frowned, "It's kind of ugly for an Elf. Thought they were suppose to be real pretty?"

"I heard Elves are maked of starlight." Said another.

Legolas turned in the grip of the Orc that held her and saw at least dozen more Orcs. Sha gave a low growl and kicked the Orc holding her. Causing him to let go of her hair as he howled in pain. Legolas pulled her long daggers from the calf sheaths she wore them in, twisting like a snake as she shoved one of the blades into the Orc's belly. There was a sickening spray of black blood from the wound her dagger left behind when she yanked it out of the Orc. Who was dead before his body hit the waters of the marsh.

Legolas glared at the Orcs as they surrounded her. "One." She said with a feral grin as she twisted her daggerd in her hands with an underlining menace. Legolas brought up one of the daggers catching the club on of the Orc swung at her, using her other dagger to stab him in the neck. Legolas shoved him away and dodging the spray of black blood and gore as the Orc gurgled his death wail. "Two."

Other Orc met his end, "Three." She then killed two more... _Oh, my star, how you would have enjoyed this battle..._

 **Pain!** Suddenly hit her, Legolas looked down to see a sward sticking out of her chest just below her heart. It was held by the little one eyed goblin. She had been concentrating on the Orc Legolas had forgotten about  the goblin. He grinned wickedly at her as she stumbled back then to her knees, the cold water of the marsh once again soaking her pants. Legoals could feel the blood bubbling up in her throat, thick and vicious. She blinked wildly... _was it growing darker?_

Legolas gave a quick gasp, as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. **Don't heal,** she thought. For Elves ccould heal quickly from wounds. Sometimes even from mortal ones. _Don't heal. I want to follow my star._

One of the remaing Orcs stepped up to her. He glared down at the goblin as he pulled the sword from Legolas chest, "She could have been good breeding stock," he said leaning down to sniff her hair, then shrugged, "Looks like we eat good tonight instead." Legolas was barely aware of it's foul breath, "Never had Elf before. Wonder what it tastes like?"

The goblin grinned, "I heard Elves taste like chicken."

"You think every thing tastes like chicken." the Orc said bringing the goblin's sword down across Legolas neck.

_The Elf maid jerk away from the alter bowl horrified by what she saw screaming in rage._

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Galadriel winced at the scream Thranduil's daughter gave as she shoved herself away from the basin that Galadriel used to hold the _Waters Of Life._ Legolas clutched her head, her silvery-gold locks of hair clenched between her fingers. The screaming wasa side effect from the gazing... Perhaps, Galadriel thought, she had let Legolas look too long in the mirror?

"Legolas?" Galadriel asked her kinswoman in concern. Legolas gave a cold, flat glare. The Elven Princess's normally warm green eyes, were so cold as she looked at Galadriel. Galadriel knew the gazing could change people if they looked too long...and not always for the better. She wondered how this would change Legolas. Who was by no means normal by Elf standards. The girl preferred her books to the merry making of her people, she was known to eat the _meat of living animals,_ Legolas was not considered a great beauty among her people. Elven memories ran long and Legolas bore a considerable resemblance to _Celebrimbor_ the maker of the _Rings of Power_.

Galadriel pushed those thoughts away. Not wanting to remember the role she played in that mess with Celebrimbor and Narvi. It was a guilt she would carry even after she sailed for the Undying Lands. Instead she asked, "Legolas, what did you see?"

"You know what I saw." Legolas replied in a dead tone.

"What I see is always different from what others do."

"I saw...the **Enemy** you so fear. He is on the move once more. A mountain covered in mist. Dragon's fire on a lake," Legolas lied, yet not, for she _had, or will_ see it." _All that glitters is not gold!_ And the crownless shall be king once more. An evening star will lose it's shine," Legolas smirked with a dark pleasure when Galadriel hissed at the mention of her granddaughter, "and a love unspoken."

Galadriel had never understood the dislike Legolas bore her. She wondered what she had done to inspire it. For more than once Legolas reminded Galadriel of Celembrimor, the elf woman hadn't thought Galadriel good enough to wed her youngest brother Celeborn.

"Yes, you have been most helpful, princess," Galadriel ignored the glare she received, waving Legolas away with, "Go in peace."

"Peace? _Peace!_ No, I shall have anything but _peace,_ I fear. _Gilmilin?"_ The last muttered confusedly as the princess left the room.

Galadriel rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"Are you proud of the grief, you cause, wife?"

The Lady of Lorien stiffened when her husband stepped from the shadows. And no, she was not. But that was her curse to bare. There were bigger things in play than the fate of one Elven princess.

"Because my kinsman is not going to be pleased that instead of helping his daughter, recover from the Mirkwood Spider bite, you have perhaps drove her farther into madness it causes."

Galadriel laughed, sounding ling wind chimes, "My love, all Silivan are slightly mad. However will Thranduil know any different?"

***

"What have you done to my heir!?" Thranduil hissed at Galadreil. He scowled at the innocent look on her face. He wasn't deceived by her. For too long he had known the woman. He knew of the role she had played in the downfall of Ororpher, his father and the scandal that surrounded his mother Celebrimbor. Galadriel was far too manipulative for Thranduil's liking.

"Whatever do you mean, Thranduil? I've only done as you have bid me." she said from her sit next to Mithrandir. She ran her fingers in the pool of the grotto that ran through Thranduil's palace.

"You know," Thranduil growled pointing at Galadriel, "exactly what I'm talking about, you old witch! Legolas saw something in that cursed mirror of yours. I know you bid her to look! And whatever she saw has changed her from my dutiful heir into a hellion!Do you know what my child has taken to doing in the last week alone?"

Galadriel looked faintly amused when the Elven King started to pace. Mithrandir gave Thranduil a concerned look.

"Legolas had began to wear dresses! She hasn't done that since I named her my heir, a thousand years ago! Most of my younger subjects think she is male to the point they even call her _Prince Legolas!"_

 _"_ The princess being true to herself is not a bad thing, Thranduil." Mithrandir said carding his fingers through his long gray beard.

"If that's all it was I would not be concerned but it's not the worst of it. Legolas has been calling Thrandon," Thranduil paused as he thought of his youngest child, a half-breed elf, the king had with a human mistress. "A dishonorable cow."

"Siblings quarrel." Mithrandir muttered around his pipe, disinterestedly.

Thranduil threw a baleful glare at the gray clad wizard, "She called him that in _Khuzdul!_ That has not been spoken in these halls in many years...I almost didn't recognize it! I don't know where Legolas learned it from."

"it's not that difficult a language to learn," Galadriel with a sniff.

Thranduil waved away her words, "And now Lyander," he winced when he thought of his elder son or any of his older sons for they had all abdicated the throne fro reasons of their own. It was why Legolas was his heir. "Won't come out of the libarary and Leander hasn't crawled out of his lovers bed in a week."

Mithrandir frowned, "I thought Leander was the more bookish of the boys?"

The king nodded, "He is! _Now_ do you see my cause for concern?"

The wizard hummed and blew a smoke ring from his pipe.

"Just yesterday, Legolas went to Lake Town and demanded that Bard the Bowman practice archery with her. When she came back she was muttering about being the better archer even if she hadn't killed a _dragon!_ And then an hour ago? I found out my daughter, my heir, had all the wine for the Starlight Feast destroyed!"

Galadriel let out a shocked gasp.

"No wine?" Mithrandir asked disappointed.

"No. Wine." Thranduil said mournfully. "she accused my of being a drunk! Who enables others to be drunks. It's not like Legolas hasn't enjoyed a goblet of wine at the Starlight Feasts herself. It's a feast! There is _suppose_ to be wine!" He rounded on Galadriel and asked, " _What did she see!"_

Galadriel shrugged, "You know I don't know the answer to that. It's different for all who look into my mirror, Thranduil!" At the king's look she sighed, "Only what we have always known."

"So it shall come to pass?"

Mithrandir sighed, "Legolas Greenleaf, will be the Hand that saves us from Darkness...

***

Legolas wandered down the hall. A hand trailing against the wall of her childhood home, lost in thoughts of somewhere far away... of a _glittering cave_ of _diamonds, rubies_ and _sapphires_ was what she saw in her mind's eye. She wondered about the fate of her _Gililin, "_ My Star?" The dwarf would be young now but not a child. Legolas closed her eyes for a moment mourning the unfilled love she had been too cowardly to speak of... but she took comfort in the fact her love was not the only one left unfulfilled.

It was horrible of her, she knew.

 _Wait? Love?_ Legolas wondered, _I don't even know this Dwarf!?_ But she felt as if she  should, as if she **did.** Legolas knew how brave and stubborn her _star_ was, how strong and fine a warrior--the beauty of his words when he chose to use them. Gilmi had been a true statesmen...is, was?

Legolas frowned, Arda needed Erebor as the watchtower for the north. That meant something had to be done about the Dragon that hid in the bowels of the Lonely Mountain. Azog and his spawn had to die!

The Ring?

Legolas shook her head. She wasn't even sure if the memories running through her head were real? She had never heard of Galadriel's mirror doing such a thing. A lifetime was what she remembered. She at least had some time to figure things out, it would be at least six years before Thorin Oakshield left on his fool's quest to kill a dragon. Legolas turned a corner and almost ran into a figure dressed in gray robes, " _ **Thunkun**_?"

"That is not how I'm usually addressed by an Elf," the gray breaded man said, surprised.

Legolas wondered for a moment if she should seek the wizard's aid. Then thought it best to leave him to his own meddling for then he would not stop her own. "Good day, Gandulf," she told him, hurrying away before he could stop her though she did hear him say,

"That's not how Elves address me, either."

Legolas couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped her as she ran from the wizard. When Legolas got to her private quarters she flung open the door, startling the auburn haired Elf maid, sitting in a chair sharpening a knife. Tauriel had been assigned to Legolas as a lady-in-waiting but since Legolas got bit by a Mirkwood Spider knew she was to keep watch for any sign of illness or madness that Legolas might show because of it. Tauriel was also one of the few of her generation that knew Legolas was in fact a female.

"My Prince?" Tauriel asked, addressing Legolas by the male form of her title as a means of respect.

Legolas knew keeping her gender would be useless in the long run, for even now Thrandon whispered words of poison in their father's ear against Legolas. She ran her right hand through her loose hair, frowning a t the shaking. It had started after she was bit. Some days the shaking was so bad she couldn't even notch her bow with an arrow. The strange thing was? That it was only her bow she had this problem with, put any other weapon in her hands and she could use them just fine. But the Bow...

"I have seen our future, Tauriel, it lays not here in the woods of my father. I was shone so in Galadriel's Mirror."

Tauriel blinked slowly at her, taking in the wild eyed look, Legolas knew she must have had. "What did you see?"

"We must go to Ered Luin."

"And what is there?"

Legolas smiled, a far off look in her eyes, "Our destiny, my friend. _Our destiny."_


End file.
